« In reappraisal of Robert Moses, much praise | Main | Planner Garvin: UDC (ESDC) has "truly amazing powers" »
February 7, 2007
Waging Laughter Against Atlantic Yards
The Real Estate Observer
By Gillian Reagan
So why is a comedian who is "not a very politically active type" pitching in to help stop Bruce Ratner from building a mini-Manhattan in Central Brooklyn?
The Real Estate Observer chats with Michael Showalter about the "Laugh Don't Destroy" fundraiser:
Mr. Showalter's apartment is just blocks from the area at Atlantic and Flatbush avenues where a sports arena, train station and five new towers (up to 511 feet high) will most likely be built over the next decade. "I'm appalled by what's happening and I feel very helpless about it," he says, nudging his stubbled chin with a knuckle.
...
"Brooklyn has a certain charm, an aesthetic that the community really believes in, and [this development] is going to be a tough pill to swallow. Right now, I can park my car on the street and that's never going to happen again. There's also a sense that I live in a borough, and that's going to change once these monstrous skyscrapers get put into place."
NoLandGrab: Showalter's home isn't located in "downtown Brooklyn" anymore than Bruce Ratner's urban planning wet dream, but check out the interview for fashion tips for the aspiring comedian.
Posted by lumi at February 7, 2007 7:41 AM